I love packing shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. One of my favorite parts of the process is going shopping. I am a college student, and finances are tight. But, I have found such great deals at places such as Walmart, DollarTree, and Dollar General. If you are packing boxes as a family, everyone in the family can pool their money, and go shopping together!
After you pick what gender and age (boy or girl; ages 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14) you are going to pack a box for, the fun begins–shopping! Before you go shopping, make sure you have shoe boxes. If you don’t have a shoe box, you have a few options: you can use a box provided by Samaritan’s Purse, or you can do what I did for my boxes, use plastic shoe boxes. Plastic shoe boxes are really affordable, $1 at Walmart.
Here are some suggestions of what to put in your box.
The goodies I found to put in the boxes!
- Candy: smarties, suckers, gum, mint, hard candy (make sure the candy is in plastic baggies)
- Toys: cars, dolls, stuffed animals, yo-yos, jump ropes, balls, dominos, paddle ball game
- Hygiene Items: toothbrush, toothpaste, bar of soap (in plastic bag), washcloth, brush, comb
- Stuff for girls: pony tails, barrettes, hair clips, bracelets, socks, headbands
- Stuff for boys: baseball cards, baseballs, caps, t-shirts, socks
- School Supplies: crayons, coloring books, notebooks, pens, pencils, pencil sharpener, stamps, markers
- A personal note to the child
After you pack your shoe box, you can place your $7 donation, which covers shipping costs, on top of the items in your box or you can donate online. Then head over to a drop-off location to drop your box off!
Most of all, please pray for the child who will receive the box.
